The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a printed circuit board.
In an electrical device, a large number of electrical components are mounted on a printed circuit board, which is arranged in a case. Some of such electrical components mounted on the printed circuit board are electrically connected, by means of a wire harness (lead wire), to a terminal arranged at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board. Conventionally, in order to prevent the lead wire from falling out or from getting caught in the case, a clamp component for fixing the lead wire is arranged on the printed circuit board or on an inner surface of the electrical device housing.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 55-65785 describes a connector provided with an electric wire bundling and guiding device, which bundles together a predetermined number of electric wires extending from the connector, guides them in a predetermined direction, and stably holds them in the predetermined direction. As shown in FIG. 7, in the connector, a plurality of electric wires 44 extend from a connector housing body 41. A frame 42, which is substantially T-shaped, and frames 43, which are substantially L-shaped, are integrally formed on a terminal portion 41a of the connector housing body 41. The substantially T-shaped frame 42 and the substantially L-shaped frame 43 are formed to extend out of the connector housing body 41 in the direction in which the electric wires 44 extend.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-274559 describes a connector cable holding structure which is provided in an electronic device interface to prevent a cable from falling out. The connector cable holding structure has a cable guide in the vicinity of a first connector provided in the electronic equipment body. The cable guide guides a cable (electric wire) so as to bend the cable in a predetermined direction in a state in which a second connector, connected to an end of the cable, is connected to the first connector.
The cable guide and frames 42 and 43 of the conventional connector are both used to hold electric wires at a predetermined position in a state stably connected to the connector. Additionally, the cable guide and the frames are arranged to extend out of the electronic equipment body so that the wires connected to the connector are easily held. However, no consideration is given to other wires that are not connected to the connector.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 3-46966 describes a connector attached to an option harness that is branched from a wire harness. The housing of this connector is integrally provided with a pair of plastically deformable clamps. The pair of clamps are arranged to extend across the option harness and the wire harness, and the free ends of the clamps are twisted. This plastically deforms the free ends of the clamps. In this state, the connector is fixed to the wire harness together with the option harness.
However, this connector is designed to fix a connector, which is attached to an option harness, to a wire harness, and no consideration is given to a case in which the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board or connected to other types of wiring.